Max Kopfstein Association and Minor – Projektkontor für Bildung und Forschung joint the forces and organise a compelling and thought-provoking project that focuses on forgotten, sometimes hidden, places of memory from World War II located in the urban industrial space of Upper Silesia. While sites like Auschwitz dominate our collective memory, this project will shed light on lesser-known areas of the tragic past — such as the Auschwitz sub-camps — the factories, steelworks and mines — and locations along the death march route.
The aim of this project is to draw attention to places, whose historical value is essential and whose emotional charge is exceptional. Such places can be found in many cities and countries affected by war, the Holocaust and National Socialism. Upper Silesia will be a starting point for further discussion.
Joining the Deposits of Memory project offers a unique opportunity to engage in a deeper reflection on how we remember — and forget — these places of historical significance.

This project is designed for educators who wish to broaden their understanding of memory,
history, and commemoration. It will explore the non-obvious places associated with World War II, absorbed and surrounded by a resurgent urban fabric and therefore often overlooked in mainstream narratives.

The title of our project – Deposits of Memory – refers to coal deposits, one of the most important raw materials in the region. Mines and industrial plants are an important part of the history of Upper Silesia, but they are also witnesses to tragic events as at these places sub-camps were set up during the war and prisoners of many nationalities and religions were forced to work.
Deposits of Memory focuses on the local, multilayered memory, aiming to challenge conventional ideas of
heritage, identity and commemoration beyond major memorials like Auschwitz.